Chateaux of Touraine Loire Valley

Royal fortress of Chinon

Overhanging majestically the city, the fortress built by the Count Thibaut I of Blois, invites the visitors to immerse themselves in the heart of the history of France and England. Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine established the Court of the Plantagenet in the fortress in the 12th century. After the death of Richard - the Lionheart, Philip-Augustus took over the castle in 1204 and built the Coudray keep. In 1429, Joan of Arc met the Dauphin and future King Charles VII in the Royal Lodge.

Now, after four years of restoration work on a scale unprecedented anywhere else in Europe, seeking to give the castle back the military splendour and cohesiveness that it enjoyed in bygone days, the Department bids you welcome to its 3rd-millennium fortress !

The monument’s ultra-modern and playfully interactive museography and scenography are unlike anything else of their kind in Touraine, and will take you into the heart and soul of this historic edifice.